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Social protection coverage in Asia and the Pacific ‘riddled with gaps’

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Social protection coverage in Asia and the Pacific ‘riddled with gaps’

The need for social protection safety nets has been further highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a new report, launched on Thursday. 

“Comprehensive social protection creates the foundation for healthy societies and vibrant economies,” Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of ESCAP, said in a news release, on Thursday, announcing the findings. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought this imperative into sharp focus, by demonstrating the stabilizing effect well-functioning social protection systems have and how their absence exacerbates inequality and poverty,” she added. 

According to the report, The Protection We Want: Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific, the pandemic has created an “opportunity” to strengthen social protection systems for the future.  

The economic and employment shock countries are facing due to pandemic means that social protection will remain a critical policy tool in the recovery, it added, underscoring that social protection programmes should form an integral component of any recovery plans. 

Underinvestment

Excluding health, many countries in the region spend less than 2 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on social protection, a “stark contrast” from the global average of 11 per cent, said the report. 

Across the region, about 46 per cent of the population is protected in at least one area of social protection, with South East and South Asia subregions lagging with 33 per cent and 24 per cent, respectively. 

In many countries, there are no schemes for numerous social protection contingencies, and responsibility for provisions such as maternity, sickness, and employment injury benefits, falling on employers. 

“These arrangements can create perverse incentives for employers. For example, employer-liability arrangements for maternity benefits can lead to discrimination against women of reproductive age,” warned the report. 

Informal employment 

Alongside underinvestment in social protection schemes, another key reason for the coverage gap is high prevalence of informal employment in the region, representing close to 70 per cent of all workers, according to the report. 

Though national and subregional differences exist, informal employment prevails in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, such as construction, wholesale and retail trade, accommodation, and restaurants, the report added. Women are particularly impacted as they are most often engaged in the informal economy, working in more vulnerable jobs. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the precarious situation of both women and men in the informal economy, explained Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at ILO. 

“There is a clear need for further investment in public social protection systems if we are to avoid the stagnation of social and economic progress made across the region in recent decades,” she said. 

Recommendations 

The report identified seven key actions governments in the region can take to improve social protection. 

These include: integrating social protection as a core strategy for socio-economic development; political commitment and stepping up investments in social protection for all; closing existing social protection coverage gaps; promoting transition from the informal to the formal economy; and embedding social dialogue at all steps from design and implementation to follow-up and evaluation. 

The report also calls for strengthening gender-responsiveness of social protection systems by ensuring that schemes address the specific vulnerabilities faced by women, men, girls, and boys; and leveraging new technologies to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and accessibility of social protection. 

By stepping up their commitments to universal social protection, countries in Asia and the Pacific would “also be taking a critical step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while being better prepared to deal with current and emerging challenges,” added the report. 

European Parliament cancels Strasbourg session and goes virtual

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European Parliament cancels Strasbourg session and goes virtual

The European Parliament will hold next week’s plenary session by videoconference as a precaution against coronavirus, European Parliament President Davide Sassoli said Thursday (15 October), despite French insistence on resuming the assembly’s monthly Strasbourg sessions.

“I regret to announce that next week’s plenary will not take place in Strasbourg, but will be remote,” Sassoli wrote on Twitter.

“The situation in France and Belgium is very serious. Traveling is a danger,” he added.

But, in a likely gesture to Macron, Sassoli also added that “Strasbourg remains the seat of the Parliament and we will do our utmost to return.”

The decision follows a standoff between the EU institution and French President Emmanuel Macron, who demanded the parliament should return to Strasbourg as soon as possible, saying that the EU would be “screwed” if it met only in Brussels.

In a letter obtained by EURACTIV on Tuesday, Sassoli informed European Parliament staff about stricter measures to be applied within the institution, further reducing physical presence in the EP buildings.

He asked MEPs to do at least 80% of monthly working time in telework in the near future.

With that, the European Parliament is preparing, slowly but surely, for a possible second lockdown.

The announcement followed after several S&D MEPs, including Sassoli’s own team, had to quarantine after coming in contact with a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19.

France itself on Wednesday announced stricter coronavirus measures to combat a surge in infections across the country, with curfews in nine cities, although Strasbourg, in the country’s east, is not affected.

Since March, when the pandemic arrived in Europe, the European Parliament has met exclusively in Brussels, with many members connecting by video link to allow social distancing. There has also been a system put in place for MEPs to vote remotely.

Macron will have the chance to make his views known to Sassoli face to face on Thursday when they meet at an EU summit in Brussels, which the European Parliament president traditionally attends.

The costly and time-consuming travel to Strasbourg for MEPs and their thousands of staff between the two cities has in recent years led to increased demands for a single seat in Brussels for the institution.

However, France vehemently insists on its right – currently enshrined in the EU treaties – to host the plenary sessions.

[Edited by Benjamin Fox]

Bringing sexual and reproductive health services to young people across the Republic of Moldova

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Bringing sexual and reproductive health services to young people across the Republic of Moldova

Unprecedented work has been undertaken in the Republic of Moldova to ensure that adolescents can access sexual and reproductive health services, following a systematic process outlined by WHO.

WHO/Europe carried out an assessment of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in the context of universal health coverage in 6 countries of the WHO European Region. This assessment identified broad health system challenges that must be addressed to achieve universal health coverage in the area of sexual and reproductive health. It also pinpointed key interventions for countries to prioritize, including sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents.

During 20 and 22 October 2020 WHO and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will organize a sub-regional consultation on sexual and reproductive health in Central Asian countries. The outcomes of the country assessments on sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health as well as how to ensure access to sexual and reproductive services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic will be key topics of discussion during this online event.

Republic of Moldova sets an example

The Republic of Moldova was the only country included in the WHO/Europe assessment that offers comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for young people. It established youth-friendly clinics in every district and municipality between 2002 and 2017.

These 41 clinics offer free counselling services to young people aged 10–24, and are staffed with multidisciplinary teams of specialists including gynaecologists, urologists/andrologists, internists, dermato-venereologists, midwives, nurses, psychologists and social workers. Adolescents also receive free contraceptives and HIV testing.

In addition to the network of clinics, efforts are underway to set up mobile teams to provide clinical outreach services to adolescents in villages.

Dr Galina Leșco, Head of the National Resource Centre on Youth-friendly Health Services Neovita in Chisinau, coordinates the national youth-friendly clinic network. She says that the Ministry of Health’s commitment along with donor support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WHO have been decisive in strengthening services specifically for teenagers.

“The first 3 pilot centres were opened with the financial support of UNICEF Moldova. The SDC played an essential role in extending the network during the past decade. Thanks to WHO’s technical support, a scaling-up concept for youth-friendly services was established,” explains Dr Leșco.

“We receive extraordinary support from WHO and appreciate how we are continuously guided in the development of service-quality standards and in implementing innovative approaches, such as collaborative learning.”

Positive trends, legislative challenges

According to the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study in the Republic of Moldova, in the last 5 years the fertility rate of those aged 15–19 has decreased by 25%, and abortions in this age group have decreased by 20%. The number of abortions among minors has nearly halved in the last 3 years, from 243 in 2016 to 141 in 2018.

Another positive development is seen in several studies indicating that the proportion of 15-year-olds who have started having sex decreased from 18% in 2014 to 13.3% in 2018. Also, the use of the contraceptive pill among sexually active 15-year-olds increased from 6% in 2014 to 10% in 2018.

However, several challenges remain. The incidence of HIV among young people has stayed the same in recent years, and condom use among sexually active young people aged 15–17 is inconsistent. Insufficient financial support for youth clinics is an additional concern.

“Every year we have significant personnel losses due to the poor financial situation in the country,” says Dr Leșco. Many health workers from the Republic of Moldova migrate to other countries with the hope of securing higher pay and improved working conditions.

Dr Leșco is keen to review Moldovan legislation related to the age of consent to access health services. The current legislation requires parental consent for those aged 16 years and under. “The criteria for assessing the decision-making capacities of a young person should change so that, under certain conditions, young people can have easier access to quality services,” she says.

The WHO assessment also showed that not all health providers know about the relevant regulations or how to apply them in young people’s best interests. One of the assessment’s policy recommendations is that legislation on adolescents’ right to access to sexual and reproductive health services without parental consent be clearly communicated to all health workers to ensure that it is understood and applied uniformly across different levels of care. It is also essential that young people know their rights and entitlements.

Reaching every young person, in every village

“A big problem right now is that young people from small, remote villages are embarrassed to ask for the help they need in the regular local health services,” adds Dr Leșco. The plan to create mobile teams will address this issue and ensure privacy and confidentiality in small communities.

“The teams will consist of nurses and volunteers who regularly visit the communities based on an established programme. Like this, young people will benefit from more confidential services, for free,” she explains.

Ms Alina Racu, a young woman from Criuleni in the central part of the country, confirms that a lot of work remains to inform young people in small villages about sexual and reproductive health and the possibility of accessing services in the youth-friendly clinics.

“Many young people in villages don’t know about the basic methods of contraception and don’t know where to go for help,” she says. “Most of them look for solutions on social networks, like Facebook, Odnoklassniki or other sites. It’s totally different when you go to a qualified specialist, who explains in detail the risks, challenges and ways of protecting yourself. It’s very important for teens to know about these centres and not be afraid to ask for qualified help on time.”

Making a difference in young lives

Many health professionals at the youth-friendly clinics have modest working conditions and low salaries. Despite such challenges, they find gratification and great value in their work.

“I will never forget when our centre, Neovita, celebrated its 10-year anniversary. A young girl came to the reception and I saw from her clothes and appearance that she probably lived on the streets. She wanted to make an appointment with a gynaecologist at the recommendation of her friend, who had visited the centre earlier. This friend had a mental health issue and had needed an abortion when she was 14 years old,” remembers Dr Leșco.

“I realized that if this young girl convinced a friend to visit us now, it means that when she was here, she felt safe with us, thought of us as friends and received the help she needed. This makes us proud of our achievements, no matter how small they may be.”

The outcomes of the assessment of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in the context of universal health coverage in 6 countries, including the Republic of Moldova, are available through the link below.

Vatican trial begins on alleged abuses at St. Pius X seminary – Vatican News

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Vatican trial begins on alleged abuses at St. Pius X seminary - Vatican News

A trial got underway on Wednesday morning at the Tribunal of the Vatican City State in a case involving two defendants: Fr. Gabriele Martinelli and Fr. Enrico Radice, the former rector of the St. Pius X Seminary.

Fr. Martinelli (who is represented by lawyer Rita Claudia Baffioni) is accused of sexual abuse allegedly committed between 2007 and 2012 against someone at the pre-seminary.

Fr. Radice (who is represented by lawyer Agnese Camilli Carissimi) is accused of obstructing the investigation into these matters.

The hearing began at 9:35 AM with the reading of the charges, and was adjourned until Tuesday, 27 October at 2:00 PM.

At that session, according to Giuseppe Pignatone, president of the Tribunal, the reservation on some evidence presented by the defense will be lifted, and the accused will be questioned.

Three billion people globally lack handwashing facilities at home: UNICEF

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Three billion people globally lack handwashing facilities at home: UNICEF

According to new estimates from UNICEF, 40 per cent of the world’s population – or 3 billion people – do not have a handwashing facility with water and soap at home. The number is much higher in least developed countries, where nearly three-quarters of the population lack such facilities. 

Kelly Ann Naylor, Associate Director of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at UNICEF, said that it is “unacceptable” that the most vulnerable communities are unable to use the simplest of methods to protect themselves and their loved ones. 

“The pandemic has highlighted the critical role of hand hygiene in disease prevention. It has also stressed a pre-existing problem for many: Handwashing with soap remains out of reach for millions of children where they’re born, live and learn.”  

“We must take immediate action to make handwashing with soap accessible to everyone, everywhere – now and in the future,” she urged. 

The situation is also alarming at schools: 43 per cent of schools globally (70 per cent in least developed countries) lack a handwashing facility with water and soap, affecting hundreds of millions of school-age children, according to the estimates.  

 ► See also: Everything you need to know about washing your hands to protect against coronavirus  

‘Hand Hygiene for All’

Against this backdrop, UNICEF, along with the UN World Health Organization launched the “Hand Hygiene for All” initiative to support the development of national roadmaps to accelerate and sustain progress towards making hand hygiene a mainstay in public health interventions. 

This means rapidly improving access to handwashing facilities, water, soap and hand sanitizer in all settings, as well as promoting behavioural change interventions for optimal hand hygiene practices, said UNICEF. 

The initiative brings together international, national, and local partners, to ensure affordable products and services are available and sustainable, especially in vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. 

The estimates were released on Thursday, coinciding with Global Handwashing Day, which serves as a platform to raise awareness on the importance of handwashing with soap. 

Mixing Religion and Politics in Georgia

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Mixing Religion and Politics in Georgia

Ahead of October 31 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia, hierarchs from the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) are taking a visible role in political campaigning, while politicians have also increased their visits to churches and meetings with religious figures.

Although in theory church and state are independent, according to the Caucasus Barometer’s 2019 survey, 90 per cent of Georgians consider religion important in their lives, with the GOC the most trusted public institution. This means that Georgian politicians have long courted the GOC to gain votes and legitimacy.

During previous election periods, both Transparency International and the Tbilisi-based Tolerance & Diversity Institute have reported cases of increased funding and the gifting of land to the GOC.

Levan Sutidze – editor in chief of Georgian political journal Tabula and a religious affairs analyst – told IWPR that the church’s privileged position in public life did not always support democratic processes.

IWPR: Do the 2020 elections stand out from previous ones concerning the involvement of religious actors in political processes?

Sutidze: During each election period, the GOC always dedicates special attention and energy to the country’s ruling party, unless it realises that the party is losing power. Consequently, every election period in Georgia is a shockingly anti-secular process. The 2020 elections stand out from the rest, however, with the massive participation of hierarchs of the GOC in Georgian Dream’s campaign presentations. Representatives of the GOC actively attend Georgian Dream’s campaign presentations, whereas they don’t attend the presentations of other political parties.  This makes it crystal clear that, at this point, the GOC supports the current government. The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy watch-dog has made a statement about this, urging religious actors to restrain from attending political campaign presentations. 

How does this benefit both politicians and religious actors?

Both sides look for short-term rather than long-term gains and results. The GOC has mercantilist goals… [and] similarly, for the current politicians, short-term votes are more tangible than their long-term achievements – especially in the 2020 elections [the country’s first with proportional elections and a one per cent threshold] when every vote counts. When our political class cannot solve economic problems, or when they are unable to make any realistic changes, they offer people the unrealistic and the irrational. In a way, this is pragmatic – on the one side, they have virologists in white coats and on the other priests in robes, to create a perception that these two important authorities in our society support them.

How effective is this relationship for the political class?

If we look at research from the NDI, we can see that the rating of the GOC has fallen by 25 per cent in the past five years. Although the GOC is still significant, it should be less pragmatic for the political class to capitalise on it as much as they did before.

In general, people make their choice based on what is inside their fridge rather than what’s inside the heart of a specific politician. Elene Khoshtaria’s campaign [an opposition candidate known for supporting minority rights] for example, is proof that you can openly and freely defend transgender rights and still not have a low rating. This reflects on the attitude of at least a part of our voters.

Still, I assume that the involvement of religious actors in politics works for around 15 per cent of the voters – those who weekly attend religious services. Some people still need this explicit demonstration of proximity between the two institutions.

How do religious actors justify their participation in politics?

They have used two justifications for the involvement in campaign presentations – firstly, that attendance does not mean endorsement and secondly that by attending, they are showing their respect to the state. To begin with the latter, it is saddening that the GOC cannot differentiate between the state and the party, which partly points to their Soviet mentality. The former argument that attendance does not mean endorsement is clearly absurd.

Do the close church-state relations break the principle of secularism guaranteed by the Georgian constitution?

In general, Georgia is more or less a secular state. It would be far-fetched to say otherwise. 

Legally, the attendance of political campaign presentations by religious actors breaks the electoral code according to which religious organisations cannot take part in pre-election “agitation”. Still, since we don’t want aggressive secularism where religious actors cannot demonstrate any sympathy or support, I wouldn’t call this specific involvement unconstitutional or not secular.

I would say, however, that the secularism principle is broken when the GOC has informal veto power over certain laws that are not essential [for the government’s pro-West direction]… In addition, the church is obviously privileged in comparison to other religious institutions with exemption from certain taxes, not being bound to the rule of law [over Covid-19 restrictions] and so on. This clearly breaks with the principle of secularism.

Although the attendance of political campaigns by religious actors per se may not be unconstitutional, it fits into this puzzle of a privileged and empowered GOC that gives us a picture of a very ugly relationship – judicially speaking – between the church and the state.

How can this change?

I believe the solution is for the public to be completely informed about what the GOC represents and why the current relationship between church and state is harmful for both sides. The media should become much more active in this, and I salute the fact that there is progress in that direction, especially in the opposition media. An informed public will lead to the political class getting a firm signal that they can no longer get away with close relations with the GOC. I do not believe that the situation is too pessimistic. It is tough but not hopeless, and we can clearly see that the wind is blowing in the right direction. Also, in five to ten years, change will naturally come to the GOC when a change of Patriarch [who is now elderly] may halve the GOC’s authority.

Will the political class ever risk breaking this “marriage” with the Georgian Orthodox Church?

It is obvious that they are already risking it. The current opposition is different from the previous government’s opposition since they do not capitalise on the GOC as much – although attempts, of course, remain from some parties.

Today, it is important to have the liberal class on your side in order to be considered a good politician – supporting the involvement of the GOC in politics and being on the [anti-secular] side is relatively harder than it was. It is also important for politicians to get positive attitudes from the people/sources who have influence on the electorate – ie liberal media, NGOs, and donor organizations. These groups do not represent a small percentage and being positively perceived by them is important and instrumental for many.

Hold Pak accountable for Kashmir turmoil: European Parliament member

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Hold Pak accountable for Kashmir turmoil: European Parliament member

Brussels [Belgium], October 14 (ANI): Talking about the role of Islamabad in “illegally” occupying a part of Kashmir and dethroning its erstwhile ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, Member of European Parliament Fulvio Martusciello has urged the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for the ongoing turmoil in the valley.

In an opinion piece for EU-Chronicle on Wednesday, Martusciello called out Pakistan’s attempt to distort history by observing October 26 as a “Black Day” to commemorate the war fought in Kashmir in 1947-48.

Calling out Islamabad’s deceptive ways, he said that on one hand, Pakistan remembers its losses with great pain on its Black Day, on the other, it doesn’t remember the “thousands of lives taken during their ethnic cleansing persecution during that invasion of Kashmir, wherein one town alone, Baramula, 14,000 Kashmiri Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs were slaughtered.”Pakistan is a country, which laments only its failures, he added.

He also wrote, “Under directions of the political leadership, Pakistan’s military invaded and illegally occupied Kashmir and dethroned ruler Hari Singh in order to annex Kashmir. The move was part of its grand design to enhance its power, territory, and influence in the region – Pakistan’s political leadership and Pakistan’s military failed.”He urged the international community to recognise that the Jammu and Kashmir issue has been concocted by Pakistan for its own gains. “Islamabad must be held accountable for the ongoing turmoil inflicted in Kashmir,” he said.

He even questioned the citizens of Pakistan who “do not deplore the rape of Kashmiri women and girls, nor the horrors and atrocities inflicted by the Pakistani military and its tribesman on innocent Kashmiri citizens”. “And Pakistanis do not regret the illegal activities of their government or military…, nor the nihilism they imposed in (Pakistan-occupied) Kashmir,” Martusciello went on to write.

He further wrote, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been mired in campaigns of disinformation and deception by Pakistan for decades, and now the youth need to know the truth to be empowered to follow their own destinies…”Martusciello also talked about a former Pakistani Army General who made some revelation in a book regarding the strategy implemented by its military under the direction of the political leadership.

According to the European parliamentarian, (Rtd) Major General Akbar Khan had described the desperation and machinations of the Pakistani political establishment to obtain the Kashmir region.

“Akbar Khan confirms how intimidation and threats of the Pakistan regime forced the ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, to be left with no option but to ask for protection and support from the Indian government – this request then led to the accession of Kashmir to become a part of India under the internationally recognised agreement, The Instrument of Accession, which was accepted under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act, 1947,” he said.

“I stand by the people of Kashmir and laud their resolve to oppose relentless Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the region,” he finally said. (ANI)

Constance Buchanan Dies at 73; Gave Women Voice in Religion,

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Constance Buchanan Dies at 73; Gave Women Voice in Religion,

For nearly 200 years, the portraits of leaders at Harvard Divinity School were all of white men. Not until 2005 was the portrait of a woman included in the collection that hung on the mahogany-paneled walls of a vaulted-ceiling room with shields emblazoned on the windows, a room that exuded masculine tradition.

That first woman was Constance Buchanan, who was director of the school’s Women’s Studies in Religion Program for two decades and built it into an influential center for research on faith, gender, race and sexual orientation.

“Women students came to her office and said, ‘I don’t feel like I belong here — all I see on the walls are portraits of white men,’” Dr. Ann Braude, the current director of the program, said in an interview.

“Connie’s the one who made that an issue and did something about it and made sure women were represented in scholarship, in the curriculum, in the syllabus, in publications and had a voice,” Dr. Braude said. “She was the pioneer in advancing women’s voices at Harvard Divinity School.”

Ms. Buchanan died on Sept. 16 at her home in Manhattan. She was 73.

The cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease, according to Al Bingham, a longtime friend.

With her women’s studies program, which accepts five scholars a year to teach and work on books, Ms. Buchanan nurtured a nascent field of academic inquiry that focused on women as religious scholars and as the subject of religious scholarship. These scholars have gone on to teach at universities around the country and the world.

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Credit…Harvard Divinity School

Ms. Buchanan was brought to the Harvard Divinity School in 1977 by Krister Stendahl, then the dean, who fought for the ordination of women, gay men and lesbians, and fought against the use of sexist language in Scriptures.

At the time, women divinity students were protesting the exclusion of women from theological studies and from religion in general.

“She was hired to be a bridge between the righteous anger of the young radical feminists in the divinity school classrooms, and the millennia of theological education that had been exclusively in the hands of men,” Dr. Braude said.

Ms. Buchanan gave permanent shape to the women’s studies program as an arena for credible feminist scholarship. She also ensured that the program would exist into the future by reaching out to philanthropists to build an endowment.

Harvard Divinity School, founded in 1816, did not accept women students until 1955, long after they had been accepted at other divinity schools and at many of Harvard’s other professional schools. Only when the school celebrated the 50th anniversary of admitting women in 2005 was Ms. Buchanan’s portrait displayed along with those of the men.

Speaking at the dedication of her portrait, Ms. Buchanan said: “I wanted the portrait to encourage women of different races, religions, classes and cultural backgrounds to boldly claim the school’s rich legacy, mission and authority as theirs too.”

Constance Hall Buchanan was born in Northampton, Mass., on June 19, 1947. Her father, the Rev. Albert Brown Buchanan, was head of the religion department at the Northfield Mount Herman School in Massachusetts before moving the family to New York City, where he served as rector at various churches. Her mother, Barbara (Masten) Buchanan, helped start the Women’s Talent Corps, which trained women for jobs in their low-income neighborhoods in the 1960s; it is now the Metropolitan College of New York.

Ms. Buchanan attended the Spence School, graduated from Barnard College in 1969 with a major in history, and received her master’s degree in history from Brown University in 1971.

She taught history at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Mass., a unit of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. After studying at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., for two years on a Rockefeller fellowship, she was hired at Harvard Divinity School.

The Women’s Studies in Religion Program was founded in 1973, but Ms. Buchanan helped define it. She served as director until 1997, during which time she was a member of the divinity school faculty and associate dean. She also served for six years as special assistant to Harvard President Derek Bok.

She was the author of “Choosing to Lead: Women and the Crisis of American Values” (1996). The book examined the cultural barriers that have limited women’s participation in public life and argued that if they could break free of these strictures, women had the potential to create a more democratic vision of work and family that would include financial compensation for motherhood.

She left Harvard in 1997 to become a senior program officer in religion at the Ford Foundation, where she stayed until she retired in 2007.

Ms. Buchanan is survived by a niece, Katherine Tytus, and a nephew, John Tytus.

Elms College Establishes St. John Paul II Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture

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Elms College Establishes St. John Paul II Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture

… Paul II Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture (CERC), thanks … questions related to ethics, religion, and culture in today’ … Paul II Center for Ethics, Religion, and Culture,” said Elms … on topics related to ethics, religion and spirituality, health, and …

European Union agrees to help Mozambique tackle insurgency: statement

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European Union agrees to help Mozambique tackle insurgency: statement
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